Shoetree and rack



Aug. 17, 1937. H. R. MacMlcHAEL 2,089,973

SHOETREE AND RACK Filed March 19, 1936 SSheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 7

ATTORNEY Hue/l A. MAc/V/c/MEL.

Aug. 17, 1937. H. R. M MICHAEL SHOETREE AND RACK Filed March 19, 1936 3Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. MA c M/c/m 4 WMQM ATTORNEY Aug. 17, 1937. H.R. M MlCHAEL 2,089,973

SHOETREE AND RACK Filed March I9, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet} [NI-"EN TOR.flue/v A? MACM/CHAEL A TTORNEY Patented Aug. 17, 1937 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE Application March 19,

14 Claims.

This invention relates to shoe trees and a supporting rack usable incombination therewith.

Some of the objects of this invention may be noted as the following: toprovide a shoetree and rack combination whereon a shoe may be treed withsubstantially as little effort as would be required to place it upon ashelf; and to provide said combination adapted for firmly attaching to awall or other means of support, and thereafter adapted for use withsubstantially no manual '15 subject said treed shoe only to lightadjustable transverse stresses effective to straighten it and smoothoutthe vamp by pressures applied generally perpendicularly against thetoe insole, vamp, and shank of said shoe; to effect said tr-eeingstresses substantially free of harmful lengthwise stretching effect inthe treed shoe which latter is frequently observed with the use of shoetrees most commonly used heretofore; to provide a tree with resilientand very flexible characteristics adapting it for effective harmlessuse, generally with any shoe of an individuals set of shoes; and toprovide simple means of adjusting the form and resilient characteristicsof said tree adapt ing it to an effective harmless use for a stillgreater range in form and character of shoes usable therewith.

Another object is to provide an effective, shoestraightening tree usablein detached form which, by one hand, may easily be pushed directly intoa shoe held in the other hand, said operation being devoid of thehitherto common necessity of thereafter having to flex and insert apowerful spring-supported or toggle-jointed member.

Other objects are to provide the aforesaid advantageous characteristicsin said tree and rack in a design having very few parts, each and allsuitable for quantity production, light in weight and low in cost. Otheradvantages will become apparent.

Illustrating my invention are the drawings herewith in which Fig. l is afront elevation of a shoetree and one end of its supporting rack;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 andshowing also a treed shoe in cross-section;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the shoetree of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the shoetree omitting the supporting rack,showing the shank 1936, Serial No. 69,679

spring in varying flexed positions, and having added a shank adjustingmember;

Fig. 5 is an end view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of another mode of 5 making the tree and rackcombination; and

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the shoetree of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, a shoetree 20 (see Figs. 1, 2, and 3) has atoe piece 2i provided with the vamp contact surface 22, the toe insolecontact surface 23 and the rear end surface 24, said toe piece 2|preferably being made of wood. A shank piece 26 is made preferably offlexible steel spring strip adapted to flex freely and resiliently intothe general form of a loop having its end 21 secured in a longrectangular slot 28 entering through said toe piece rear end 24, thereto be retained by the barb 29 formed by shearing laterally a shortdistance into the side of said shank end 21 and deflecting the innersheared resilient part slightly upwards to form said barb 29 adapted tobe forced into said slot 28 but fish-hook fashion resisting withdrawaltherefrom. The other end of said flexible shank 26 is brought around andheld preferably in the slot 30 entering the bottom of said toe piece 2|,or in the slot 3! entering likewise at a differing angle and spacedlengthwise in said toe piece 2| from said first slot. Said shank 26 isthus caused to form a generally oval shaped resilient loop with itslower rearward part 32 adapted to contact against the shank of a treedshoe. Said slots 30 and 3| are-of a size adapted to receive said shank26 with the slight hook-like bend 33 by inserting the I latter at afavorable angle therein. This bend 33 forms a catch resisting withdrawalby direct backward pull such as is exerted when the tree is beinginserted into a shoe, and the inside end of said slot 30 or iii resistsforward movement therein.

Also fixed in said toe piece rear end 24 underlying said shank fixed end21 is the short strip retainer spring 35 (see Fig. 2) and the socketshank 36 integral with the rectangular socket 31 adapted to engageremovably with the supporting arm 40, carried in spaced position alongthe rack beam 4| non-rotatably carried by the wall bracket 42 from asupporting means wall 43. Said socket 3'! encases said retained spring35, the tree 50 shank 2B, the upper end of the arm 49, and thelongitudinally triangular space 39, and is provided with the integralbent-down latch 45 to engage in the supporting arm notch 44. Said armhas the tapering end 40a adapted to enter 55 between said socket latchl5, and said spaced underlying shank 26. When said entering arm Allreaches its socketed position adjacent said toe piece end 24, saidretainer spring 35 forces said 5 arm notch 45 into removable retainingengagement with said socket latch 45. Said socket shank 35 is providedwith the upturned end 48 engaging behind said barbed shank end 21thereby to be forcibly retained in said toe piece slot I 23. saidretainer spring 35 being frictionally retained in said slot between saidshank end 21 and said socket shank 36.

Said vamp surface 22 of said toe piece 2! forms generally a semi-conicalfrustum adapted to make generally parallel contact inside the vamp of atreed shoe, thereby tending to smooth out Wrinkles in the latter.

Said toe piece bottom 23 is adapted to make a longitudinally curvedcontact at about 23a against the toe insole of a treed shoe, and isespecially adapted to glide easily, sled-runner fashion, relative to ashoe being placed upon or removed from said tree.

Said shoetree and rack combination may be 25 produced in another mode asshown in Figs. 6

and 7 wherein an arm or body member 10 extends upwardly and inwardlyfrom its supporting rack'bar Ill, and is provided on the inner side nearits enlarged upper end 10a with the toe insole contact "52, and spacedbackward therefrom on the opposite side is the vamp contact l3. Attachedto said member if! is the shank contact 75 flexibly adaptable tocontacting in the shank of a treed shoe.

Said shank :15 may be attached at its upper end by the screw it on saidbody toe insole part l2, therefrom being flexed to a loop form, withsaid shank 75 other end attached by screw 1'! at the screw-hole 78 oralternatively at the screwhole l9 relatively spaced longitudinallygenerally in the middle section of said body 10. Other modes ofattaching said shank T5 to said body it may be used, such for example asthe bent shank end removably engaging in one of one or more slots (seeslots 39 and 38 of Fig. 2), or the lower end of said shank 75 might befixed to a movable mounting encasing said body 79 in its narrow part andslidable for adjustable position longitudinally thereon. Othervariations will occur readily to one skilled in mechanicaldesign,

generally providing for the objects herein set forth.

A resilient reinforcing member 90 (see Figs 4 and 5) has the flexiblelongitudinally extending strip spring 96 fixed at its center in theslide 92 slidably encasing said shank 26. Said member 9!] may be slidalong to any position on said shank, and when said spring 9| is in anyflexing position it then reinforces the resilient flexed shank 26. Forexample, as shown in Fig. 4 said spring 96 is but slightly flexed andconsequently exerts but little reinforcing effect. But if it is moved tothe position indicated by the dotted lines 93 in a sharply curved flexedpart of said shank 26, a, maximum of reinforcing stiffening effect willthere be exerted. Said member 90 is enabled therefore to provide anadjustment in the resilient force and form of said shank 26 therebyincreasing its adaptability for use with shoes widely varying in form,size or weight. It may be used also in the same general mode with theshank l5 (see Fig. 6) but is not thereon shown. The shoetree may be usedunattached toa rack (see Figs. 4 and 5). Holding the shoe in one hand,the tree is handled by the rear end of the loo-p shank and a simplecontinuous pushing motion serves to insert it in said shoe. The generalreverse of the aforesaid motion serves to remove the tree with equalfacility. Adapting it to a very wide range of sizes and forms of shoesare the adjustable features of said tree which may be provided bythevariably positioned spring adjuster 90, or by the alternative slots 39and 3| adapted to variably positioning the adjacent end of the springshank 26. Positioned in slot 30 said shank assumes approximately theposition shown in Fig. 4. Positioned in slot 3|, it assumes the generalform indicated by the dotted lines of Fig. 4 thereby substantiallymodifying the free form of the loop shank 26, the angle of said shankand its longitudinal position, each relative to the toe piece bottom orbody 23, and consequently adapting said loop to contact in a materiallydifferent form of shoe or to exert a materially differentshoe-straightening pressure in the first form thereof.

Said slidable reinforcing member 96 when in the positionindicated bydotted line 93 tends to increase the radius of the loop shank underlyingit and materially increases the resilient resistance against thecompression of said loop, thereby adapting it better to thestraightening of a heavier or stiifershoe or to apply a like treeingpressure in a larger shoe. One or all of said adjustment features may beused in any tree.

However, I have found that with the differing shoes of one individual,it is often possible to use said tree satisfactorily without the currentuse of any of said adjustments, as the spring shank 26 is adapted toexert satisfactory treeing,

forms or weights of shoes. The latter effects are due to theconsiderable degree of resiliency and flexibility provided in thegreatly elongated spring of said shank. For detached use of the tree thesocket 3'! is unnecessary.

The aforesaid tree with the socket 3i attached is readily snapped intofixed or substantially rigid position on the wall rack arm it (see Fig.2), after which it is generally unnecessary to touch or directly tohandle the tree for its use. By its toe end, a shoe may be held in thehand in a position just above the tree, whence a single slightlyforceful movement serves to push the shoe down into engaging positionunder straightening pressure or stress on said rigidly supported tree. Areversal of said movement will remove the shoe with equal facility.

The tree is shown with a womans shoe mounted thereon in Fig. 2 and saidtree in a single size is adapted for a great majority of womens shoes.For mens shoes a tree of the same general design is provided preferablywith a materially longer toe piece 2% and a more powerful long springshank 26. The rack with its arm 40 may be used interchangeably foreither mens or Womens shoes by placing thereon the proper tree. Sixshoes for women will generally fit into the same space on the rack barll as is required for four shoes for men. The arms 40 are slidablypositioned on said rack bar 4!, also being readily removable andreplaceable thereon. Therefore a. rack spaced adaptably for mens shoesmay be used for the same number of womens shoes by placing thereon theproper tree. Or by adding two additional arms 40, and suitably spacingall arms equipped with women's trees, said rack may then carry sixshoes.

:The trees asaforesaid (see Figs. 1 to 5) are straightening effects inconsiderably differing equally adaptable for detached use or for readilymounting on said rack. V 1

In a modified design illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7 the arm and toe pieceare provided in a single body member 10 intended to be used preferablymounted on the rack bar II. The use of this mounted tree is generallythe same as that of the mounted tree already described (of Figs. 1 to5). A spring shank is illustrated as fixed on 10 its upper end and isadjustable as to its form and resilient characteristics by means of itsadjustably positioned lower end. The spring adjuster 90 (see Fig. 4) isusable on said shank 15 (see Fig. 6) although not there shown.

15 There are numerous advantages in the use of the shoetree and rackcombination as herein described, among which is that a shoe may beplaced thereon with as little effort as that .required to place it on aconvenient shelf. The

rack may be attached toa door or wall, or it may conveniently be used ona floor bracket with the shoe preferably sloping at about a 45 degreeangle upwards towards its. toe end.

Whether used mounted or detached, the treeing device is adapted to exerta gentle transverse stress in a shoe, straightening the sole andsmoothing out wrinkles in the vamp without imposing harmful anddistorting stresses, such as frequently occur where a tree is usedpowerfully stretching the shoe lengthwise by means of stiffnon-adjustable springs, or powerful toggle joints the stretching forceof which is difficult toregulate.

Another advantageous and novel feature is provided in the easily curvedcontactors which,

relative to a shoe being treed thereon are adapted to a glidingcontacting motion similar in effect to that of a bob-sled with itstandem runners gliding over the snow. This bob-sled runner effect isespecially useful on the toe and shank contacts for movement underpressure in each direction for the treeing or removal respectively ofthe shoe relative to the tree.

My preferred steel strip looped shank spring is of substantially lightercross-section than that hitherto commonly used, and is provided with aresilient length materially in excess of the distance between the spacedpoints of the toe insole and the shank contact, said length beingpreferably at least one and one-half times said distance. A high degreeof easy flexibility is thereby provided with ample strength of springeffective to straighten a shoe and to smooth out any wrinkles therein.The spring may be flexed to its loop shape without permanent distortion,

and at all times, said looped spring is under initial resilient stress,with added stress when further flexed by contact in a treed shoe.

I have found by actual measurement that the treeing pressure on the rear(or shank) contact of my device may satisfactorily be from onethird toone-half of the pressure commonly exerted on the rear (or heel) contactof other treeing devices in general use. On a single size of tree andwithout using the adjustable features which I may provide, I have beenable to tree any one shoe of an individuals set, from a light slipper toa heavy walking shoe, and in each case the shoe was held under effectivetreeing stress without harmful distortion of the shoe.

The spring shank 26 relative to the arm 40 diverges as it emerges fromthe socket 31 when not in use as illustrated in Fig. 4 where the dottedline 96 represents the adjacent side ofthe arm 40 when said shank 26 ismountedthereon. With treeingsflexure at a plurality .of pointslengthwise thereon. y

In its simplest .form for detached use without adjustable features, mytree consists of only two parts, a slotted toe piece and a barbed springshank attached, as compared with three or more I parts in other devicessThe barbs on said shank securely anchor it in a wooden toe piece by amode of manufacture requiring neither an additional number of operationsnor of parts.

e.=.-1n referri'ngtothe shank of a shoe, as a point of contact, I refergenerally to the mid-length section .inside of said shoe. Said shank orrear contact effect of my device contrasts with the generally horizontalstretching pressure exerted against .the rear end wall or backstay of ashoe whentreed on the. toggle-jointed type of tree or the similarspring-actuated type thereof. In referring to generally perpendiculartreeing pressure in a shoe, I mean about perpendicular relative to thetree-contacted surface thereof. In referring to pressure downwardagainst the toe end, I mean downward relative to ,a shoe in normalposition with its sole and heel on the floor; and the similar phases,upward against the vamp, downward against the shank, a vertical loopspring, and the like are to be similarly understood. In referring to thebody of the tree, I may refer to the single preferablycast piece 18 (seeFig. 6) comprising a supporting arm and toe piece integrally made; or,for the tree form shown in Fig. 5 without an int gral supporting arm,the term body may refer only to the toe piece part 2|.

I have found that various modifications, substitutions andtranspositions may be made in the preferred construction of my deviceherein set forth, and others may occur to those skilled in mechanicalarts. For instance, for obtaining adjustment of the resilientcharacteristics, form of spring, and relative point of contact thereofin a ,shoe, various mechanical details including slidable levers orwedges, rotatable eccentrics and others are adaptable.

I Having described a novel shoe tree, optionally combination Vlfithsupporting means, adapted.

for use with an ease and convenience which I have been unable todiscover elsewhere, I wish to claim broadly the principles ofconstruction pertaining thereto.

:What I claim is:

A shoe straightening tree comprising a .body; contact surfaces on saidbody adapted to contact downwardly against the toe insole andnpwardagainst the vamp of a treed shoe; an

extending arm part of said body adapted to the:

generally rigid support thereof from external supporting means; and aresilient shank contact member forming generally a vertical flexibleextended loop attached to said body adapted to contact against the shankof a treed shoe; said supported tree being provided in a form adapted tothe treeing thereon and removal therefrom .of a shoe without themanipulation of any part of said tree and support.

2. A shoe straightening tree comprising a bodyLicontact surfaces on saidbody adapted to contact downward against the toe insole, and upwardagainst the vamp of a treed shoe; an extending arm part of said bodydetachably connected thereto adapted to the generally rigid supportthereof from external supporting means; and a resilient shank contactmember forming generally a vertical flexible extended loop attached tosaid body adapted to contact against the ,5 shank of a treed shoe; saidsupported tree being ing a toe insole contactor provided with a-bottomsurface substantially extending in both directions lengthwise from itspart in contact with a treeing shoe insole; and a flexible extended loopshank contactor provided with a bottom surface substantially extended inboth directions lengthwise from its part in contact with said shoeshank; all said extended parts being curved upwardly relative to theadjacent part of said shoe, and said contactors being adapted jointly tosupport said tree bob-sled runner fashion for a gliding movement underpressure in and relative to said shoe.

4. A shoe straightening tree comprising a body provided with contactsurfaces adapted to con- 0 tact downward against the toe insole andupward against the vamp of a treed shoe; a resilient flexible shankmember attached to said body forming therewith generally an extendingloop in a vertical plane adapted to make pressure contact downwardsagainst the shank of said shoe;

and means of adjustment of the degree of flexibility of said loopedshank, including a longitudinally extending reinforcing part movablysupported for adjustably positioned reinforcing 40 contact on saidresilient shank.

5. A shoe straightening tree comprising a body having a forward lowersurface and a backwardly-spaced upper surface adapted respectively tocontact downwards in the toe-end and upwards against the vamp of a treedshoe; and a flexible spring, adapted to exert pressure contact on theshank part of a treed shoe by means of the lower part of a rearwardlyextending, approximately semi-circular flexible loop formed in saidspring sup-ported at both its forwardly extending ends by said body.

6. A shoe straightening tree comprising a body having a forward lowersurface and a backwardly-spaced upper surface adapted respectively tocontact downwards in the toe-end and upwards against the vamp of a treedshoe; a resilient flexible rearwardly-extending shank member adapted tocontact downwards against the shank of said shoe; means whereby saidextending shank member may be removably attached'to said body at apredetermined angle relative thereto as viewed in side elevation; andmeans whereby said member may be removably attached at another differingangle, thereby providing an adjustment adapting said tree for use with aplurality of shoes respectively differing in form.

7. A shoe straightening tree comprising a body having a forward lowersurface and a backwardly-spaced upper surface adapted respectively tocontact downwards in the toe-end and upwards against the vamp of a treedshoe; a resilient flexible rearwardly-extending shank member adapted tocontact'downwards against the shank of said shoepmeanswhereby saidextending shank member may be removably attached to said body at apredetermined point in the length thereof; and means whereby said membermay be removably attached'at another point spaced longitudinally fromfirst said point thereby providing an adjustment adapting said tree foruse with a plurality of shoes respectively differing in form.

8. A shoe-straightening tree comprising a body adapted to be placed inthe forward end of a shoe, having a toe-end surface adapted to contactdownward on the insole. at the toe end of a treed shoe; a vamp surfaceon the top of said body near its rear end, adapted to contact upwardagainst the vamp. of a treed shoe; and a strip spring member attached.at its upper for- 1 wardend to saidbody, extending substantiallyrearward and curving downward and thence forward to form a resilientflexible loop adapted on its lower part to exert pressure contactgenerally downward against the shank of a treed shoe, the lower forwardend of said member being supported by said body. I

9. A mountable shoe-straightening tree comprising a body adapted to beplaced in the forward end of a shoe, having a toe-end surface adapted tocontact downward on the insole at the toe end of a treedshoe; a vampsurface on the top of said body near its rear end, adapted to contactupward against the vamp of a treed shoe; means on said body adapted toengage on a projecting 10. A mountable shoe-straightening treecomprising a body adapted to be placed in the forward end of a shoe,having a toe-end surface adapted to contact downward on the insole atthe toe end of a treed shoe; a vamp surface on the top of said body nearits rear end, adapted to contact upward against the vamp of a treedshoe; means on said body adapted to the removable mounting of said tree,including a resilient member adapted to lock said mounting means on asupporting arm; and a strip spring member.

attached at its upper forward end to said body, extending substantiallyrearward and curving downward and thence forward to form a resilientflexible loop adapted on its lower part to exert pressure contactgenerally downward against the shank of a treed shoe, the-lower forwardend of said member being supportedby said body.

11. A mountable shoe-straightening tree comprising an extending armadapted to engage on a supporting means; a shoe-tree body member formedon said extended arm, adapted to be placed in the forward end of a shoe,having a toeend surface adapted to contact downward on the insole at thetoe end of a treed shoe; a vamp surface on the top of said body near itsrear end, adapted to contact upward against the vamp of a treed shoe;and a strip spring member attached at its upper forward end to saidbody, extending substantially rearward and curving downward and thenceforward to form a resilient flexible loop adapted on its lower part toexert pressure contact generally downward against the shank of a treedshoe, the lower forward end of said mem ber beingsupported by said body.

12. A shoetree and rack combination comprising a shoetree adapted to beinserted in a shoe and therein to make resilient pressure contactsrespectively and relatively downward against a shoe toe-end insole and ashank, and upward against said shoe vamp, said three contactspositioning on a generally wedge-like outline with said vamp contact inopposition to said toe and shank contacts; and a rack adapted to bemounted on a fixed support, having a diagonally upwardly extending armadapted to the fixture thereon of said shoe tree with said toe and vampcontacts positioned generally vertically above said shank contact,whereby a treed shoe is carried with its toe end generally verticallyover its heel end and the force of gravity then tends to draw down andto hold said shoe in place on said wedge-like tree.

13. A shoe-straightening tree comprising a longitudinally-extendingbody; contact surfaces on said body adapted to contact downward againstthe toe insole and upward against the vamp of a treed shoe; meansadapted to contact downward against the shank part of a treed shoe andto exert resilient pressure affecting all three said contacts; and meansof adjustment whereby the force of said resilient pressure may beadjustably controlled.

14. A shoe-straightening tree comprising a longitudinally-extendingbody; contact surfaces on said body adapted to contact downward againstthe toe insole and upward against the vamp of a treed shoe; meansadapted to contact downward against the shank part of a treed shoe andto exert resilient pressure affecting all three said contacts; andattached means of adjustment whereby the force of said resilientpressure may be adjustably controlled.

HUGH R. MAcMICI-IAEL.

